The First Betrayal
by Kamen Rider Raika
Summary: "We were servants of the Dark Side… Sith Lords, we called ourselves." When Ajunta Pall and his fellow exiled Jedi arrived on Korriban, they enslaved the Sith species and built their Sith Empire spanning many worlds. However, the way of the Sith is one of betrayal, a way that destroyed the first of the Sith Lords. And it all began with one act. One-shot.


Disclaimer: Alright, Ajunta Pall belongs to the people who created him (I'm assuming it's Bioware since KotOR was their creation and it was where Pall first appeared). The entire Star Wars franchise is the brainchild of George Lucas and is now owned by Disney.

* * *

"_We destroyed each other. We desired secrets of each other, to increase our power... we battled until our fortress rained down upon us._"

- The spirit of Ajunta Pall, the first Dark Lord of the Sith, to the brainwashed Revan.

* * *

The sound of footsteps echoed across the halls of the Sith palace on Korriban. Small crystals were embedded into the walls, illuminating the halls with a bright light and shining onto the source of footsteps, which came from three beings.

Two of them were natives of the planet they resided on, and both had red skin with tendrils, identifying them as members of the Sith race. Yet, they were dressed in the brown uniforms of guards and were armed with warblades meant to protect their master, who was none other than Ajunta Pall, the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Pall donned a royal robe, styled much after his old robes from when he was once a member of the Jedi Order. It flapped in the air as Pall strode through the halls of the palace, and on his belt was his lightsaber hilt accompanied with the typical power pack. The ends of his robes flowed through the air as he strode through the halls, yet the hood over his head did not fall off of his head.

As he continued down the path, Pall's sickly yellow eyes stared at the structure of the palace. The red stones constituting the wall had only been in place for a decade, and seemed like they were capable of withstanding an assault. Fire emerged from the golden torches placed against the walls, illuminating the hall.

The ruler of the Sith turned his head slightly and he could see one of the many windows. Out of the window, Pall could see the landscape of Korriban. The dry and desolate desert was filled with mountains, and there were signs of dried riverbeds under the orange skies. As unwelcoming the environment appeared to be, Korriban was more than a barren world.

It was the home of the red-skinned Sith race. More importantly, it was the world where Pall and the other eleven exiled Jedi were reborn from simple Jedi to rulers of these natives. However, they were more than simple rulers for the natives revered them as gods, but they were more than that. They were Sith Lords.

While the other Sith Lords ruled their respective territories, Pall was made the leader of the Sith Lords. The Sith race gave him the name _Jen'ari_, 'Dark Lord' in the Sith tongue, and he carried that title with pride, the Dark Lord of the Sith.

From Korriban, the Sith Lords conquered worlds and established their own power bases to create a powerful empire for the Sith Lords. An empire to that rivaled the glory and splendor of the Galactic Republic. An empire that would lay waste to any opponent. An empire under the rule of the Dark Lord of the Sith. _His _empire.

Pall removed his yellow eyes from the window and they fell upon his destination, a large pair of double doors that there three times the size of his height. The pair of double doors were kept within a stone frame that had a pointed arch at the top. Etched onto the doors was the symbol of the Sith Empire,

On each side was a statue of red stone, the strenuous carving completed by the work of Sith slaves. Lavishing robes were carved from the stone, and made perfect down to the last detail. One statue was of the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, his youthful appearance sculpted onto the stone. As for the other, the hood concealed any facial features, concealing its identity, but Pall knew very well who it was under the hood. He had not seen the face since arriving on Korriban…

* * *

_Pall stood on the small bridge of the ship. His brown robes, once clean and signified his status as a proud member of the Jedi Order, were now torn and filled with holes. His fair and long hair was covered in patches of dirt and grime from traveling through the vastness of space outside of the Republic's control. Bags started to form under his eyes, but the pair of blue eyes shone with anticipation._

_Through the Force, Pall could sense the others on the ship. Everyone on board was once a Jedi who followed the path of the Dark Side. They all participated in the century-long war against the Order only to be captured by the very Jedi they betrayed. Brought before the Jedi Council, Pall and his fellow rogue Jedi were stripped of their weapons and Jedi rank before being condemned onto this very ship and sent into exile._

_The door to the bridge opened, making Pall turn his head to see another enter the bridge. It was another of his forsaken companions, wearing a tattered robe like Pall did, and his hood covering much of his face. There were no signs of hair on his head save for the small strands that made up his goatee. _

_"Any news?" Pall inquired._

_The fallen Jedi remained silent for many moments, hesitant to give Pall the report. When he finally spoke, his voice was filled with restrained irritation as he answered, "We still haven't found a suitable planet." _

_The news was nothing new to the former high general of the Dark Jedi. Ever since their forced departure from Republic space, they all traveled from one world to the next in hopes of finding a habitable planet to reside. They failed and their search continued for many months–possibly years for Pall had forgotten how long it had been since the final battle on Corbos._

_"I see," was all Pall said, his tone neutral. _

_As he watch Pall lower his case in contemplation, the mysterious fallen Jedi swallowed some saliva. Ever since the start of this treacherous journey, he kept his mind to himself. With the constant search for planets, however, the single member of the exiles noticed the others' concerns, some of which he himself agreed. Pall had not paid attention and he needed to be informed._

_The former Jedi found the courage to speak, he said, "Pall, the others becoming impatient. Our rations our low and it'll only be a matter of time before we lose fuel." He paused for a moment to exhale before he finished, "We can't survive like this for long."_

_Raising his eyes, Pall's blue eyes became focused on his comrade. "Be patient, my friend." _

_Pall's subordinate stared at him with outrage, even if it was not visible. They had been away from home for so long and the others were getting tired of it. He could not believe the words that emerged from Pall's throat. _

_"_Patient_?!" the former Jedi repeated. His voice rose with outrage at Pall's words. "Pall, look at us?! We lost to the Jedi! They sent us to die out here! We've been searching for years and you're saying to be _patient_?!"_

_Pall remained unfixed by the outburst as he continued to fix his gaze on his comrade. "Yes I am,," he answered, returning his gaze to the vastness of space. "We will not die. I have foreseen it."_

_Rage turned into confusion as the fallen Jedi stared at his leader. He could only wonder what Pall meant until he felt a sudden rumble under his feet. It made the former Jedi slightly sway to the side, but he was able to recover from it. The fallen Jedi returned his gaze at Pall to see him remained unmoving and staring at the window in front of him. _

_Curious as to what it was, the fallen Jedi looked over Pall's shoulders and his eyes widen with surprise. Outside of the window was planet, the sun beaming on the red-colored atmosphere. The white clouds floated high above the surface, giving the planet a look similar to desert worlds._

_All Pall did was smile at the sight below him. "We have arrived."_

* * *

The memory had not left Pall's mind, even after all these years. That moment brought much joy to the Dark Lord of the Sith. The joy of finding not only a suitable world to live on, but a population they could rule over. And the only other Sith Lord to first lay eyes upon Korriban was behind those doors.

Looking over his shoulder, Pall's gaze fell upon his two guards. "Remain here," Pall ordered.

The two guards simply bowed in respect to their Dark Lord before they turned around, standing guard at the door. Returning his gaze to the doors, Pall placed a hand and used a small push of the Force to swing open the doors, revealing a chamber. The sound of stone met stone when doors stopped against the walls of the chamber.

Taking the first step, Pall felt a sense of nostalgia, for he had almost forgotten the design of the chamber. The flames of the tall stone altars shone on the wall tapestries that depicted many events of the Sith race's history. The sequences of Sith history continued through the warring tribes and the the black-armored Adas driving away the invading Rakatans until it finally came across one event. The image of a star ship with eleven beings emerging from it to be greeted by the Sith. Pall recognized the image as himself and the other exiled Jedi arriving on Korriban years ago.

Turning from the tapestries, Pall's eyes fell upon the throne placed on the far end of the chamber. A red flag hung on the wall behind the throne, and woven into the center was the symbol of the Sith Empire. Sitting upon the throne was an imposing figure, a Sith Lord.

Like Pall, he was one of the survivors of Pall's forces exiled from Republic space and joined Pall to rule over the Sith race. While Pall and ten of the fallen Jedi left Korriban to conquer other worlds, this one remained to keep control on the world. He was more of a man who preferred bluntness and strength than secrecy and weakness.

The Sith Lord of Korriban was covered in red armor crafted from the tedious work of Sith alchemists and slaves who spent hours to perfect the design. The shoulders, arms, and even elbows were covered in armor. Whatever was not armor had been covered by the red cloth of a robe that went down to his brown boots.

Pall's footsteps caught the Sith Lord's attention, but he remained still until the Dark Lord of the Sith came to halt in the center of the chamber. The Sith Lord raised his armored head and Pall's eyes met the black visor. "Welcome, Pall," he spoke, his deep voice emerging from the red helmet. "I see you are still the same."

At first, Pall said nothing as he raised his hands to his hood, and he lowered it. The red-armored Sith Lord could see his leader was nothing like the statue placed at the front door. His once-fair skin was pale and there were signs of grays on his brown hair. The final sign were the veins visible around the yellow eyes.

The Sith Lord across from Pall knew very well the Dark Lord's condition was due to his use of Sith sorcery and other Dark Side skills, which often were known for having a toll on the body. The other Sith Lords, their leader included, gouged on the power of the Dark Side, not caring what happened to themselves as long as they achieved more power. The red-armored Sith Lord himself indulged himself with such power, but kept it restricted.

The Dark Lord of the Sith stared at his fellow Sith Lord as he returned the greeting. "You as well, Hord."

For some reason the name brought an oddity to Pall's mouth. Hord. It had not been a name he spoke for some time, the same amount of time it had been Pall saw Hord in person.

Through the black visor, Pall could see suspicion within Hord's eyes. "Why are you here?" he inquired, the same suspicion in his tone. "Surely, my guards would have informed me of your arrival the minute your ship landed."

Hord's leader simply replied, "Your guards have already greeted me, Hord. They were disposed of."

Those words brought surprise to Hord. Reaching out with the Force, Hord could sense that Pall was speaking the truth. At the entrance of his palace, Hord felt the presence of the Dark Lord's warriors standing over the corpses of his own guards, their swords shattered and their blood spilt on the stone floor of the palace.

The red-armored hands curled into fists on the armrests of Hord's throne, yet Pall could sense the anger boiling inside Hord being contained. He was interested that Hord's training remained instilled in his fellow Sith Lord, even after their exile from the Jedi Order.

Propping his hands on his armrests, Hord raised himself from his seat. "So, you have betrayed me," he spoke, the rage on the edge of his voice.

Pall knew there was no point in denying it. He already revealed that when his warriors eliminated Hord's own. All Pall did was confirm Hord's words with a nod. "Yes," he replied.

Hord took a step forward, the black visor concealing the outrage on his face. "Why, Pall?" he demanded. "Why do this?"

The Dark Lord's eyes fell upon Hord's red-armored form. "Because you have something I want."

The lesser Sith Lord felt his body tense up and his hand immediately went to the lightsaber hanging from his belt. Pall took a glance at the lightsaber and his yellow eyes were filled with a desire to hold the weapon in his hands.

For centuries, the Jedi Order had constructed lightsabers. Pall and his followers carried such lightsabers with them before their exile from the Jedi Order, and were able to construct their own lightsabers. They all required an external energy source in the form of a power pack, and the hilt of the saber was connected via cable.

However, Hord's lightsaber was different. There was no power pack, no cable attached to it. It was just a simple black hilt with the small blades around the saber's emitter. It was truly a fine piece of engineering in the eyes of the other Sith Lords, including the Dark Lord himself.

"A lightsaber without the power pack. A fine piece of work," Pall mused with a smirk.

With his suspicions confirmed, Hord removed his hilt from the belt and displayed it in front of himself. "And you want it, don't you?" he inquired, though the answer was obvious. "All of this for one lightsaber?"

Pall's eyes narrowed at Hord. "You seem to put little faith in your creation, Hord. The other Sith Lords would have brought your home to ruin if they knew about your lightsaber. I, on the other hand, am not like them."

As much as he hated to admit it, Hord knew Pall was right. The others had become more cutthroat over time, resorting to shadowy tactics to ensure their power remained within their grasp. Many of the Sith Lords, once allies in their war against the Jedi Order, became bitter enemies. The first two that stood out of Hord's mind were Karness Muur and Remulus Dreypa. There were others like Xoxaan who kept to herself, but even they became envious of the power the rest withheld and desired to have that power for themselves.

Hord's black visor faced Pall, the only Sith Lord who had not fallen to the political backstabbing of the others. The Dark Lord of the Sith held out a hand, obviously wishing for the lightsaber to be placed in his palm. "Surrender the lightsaber, Hord, and you may walk away from this with your life," Pall spoke, his tone neutral.

The red armored shoulders sank. Hord knew he would be taking a risk to deny his leader, but his pride would allow him to give up so easily.

Thumbing the activation stud, the red blade emerged from the black hilt and Pall found the tip of Hord's saber pointed at him. Hord's voice boomed through the walls of the chamber as he challenged, "You want this lightsaber?! Then come and get it!"

Pall simply sighed as he removed his own lightsaber, the long cable attaching it to the belt-mounted power pack. "So be it," he said, his own red blade coming to life.

At that point, it was almost as if time held still. The two lords of the Sith stared down at one another, their respective lightsabers held within their hands and pointed at the ground. Pall could feel the rage that Hord withheld now radiating off of him in waves. Hord discarded any notion of his Jedi training in preparation for this duel.

Then, time resumed itself. Hord's brown boots hit against the stone floor as he charged at Pall, using the Force as a boost to his speed. He swung his weapon at Pall, but the Dark Lord of the Sith raised his weapon in anticipation, blocking the attack. He, then, retaliated with his own strike at his opponent's side, but Hord was quick to deflect the blow.

The next strike struck against Pall's blade, but this time, the force of the blow drove the Dark Lord a step back. Hord lunged, his blade ready to take off Pall's head. Pall recovered and managed catch Hord's lightsaber with his in an arcing slash.

High above their heads, the Sith Lords' blades remained intercepted with one another. Both of their hands were gripped onto their respective weapons as each used his own strength to overcome the other. It remained a stalemate, yet Hord could see Pall beginning to tire.

Hord was right as Pall felt the sweat run down his face. Hord's strength was greater than his own, he had no doubt about that. If they continued like this, Pall would find Hord's lightsaber cutting him into pieces.

Out of the corner of his eye, Pall noticed the stone altars lined up on the floor. Reaching out with the Force, Pall managed to grab onto one of the stone altars and removed it from floor. The sounds of breaking stone made Hord turn to see the altar rising from the stone floor before it flew towards him.

Yet, Hord was quick as he managed to lash out with a kick to Pall's stomach, sending the Dark Lord of the Sith staggering back. It gave Hord enough time to twist his upper body and lean to the side as the stone altar came within a few centimeters of its target. The altar came crashing against the wall, but Hord paid no attention to it as he brought his blade around to block an oncoming slash from Pall.

Pall was impressed by his fellow Sith Lord's performance. While Pall was strong in the Force, Hord was a master of the lightsaber. Hord already demonstrated much of his skill during the century-long war against the Jedi. He struck down many Jedi, even more than Pall did, during that final battle on Corbos. Now, Pall knew what it was like for the Jedi when they fought against Hord in battle.

Blade struck against blade as the two Sith Lords continued their duel. Since it had started, Hord had been the one launching attacks on Pall. Now, Pall went on the offensive as he stabbed his lightsaber at Hord, who slapped it away with his own blade. However, Pall recovered from his as he twirled on the ball of his heels for a sweeping slash at Hord's legs.

Yet, all the blade came across was air for Hord used his legs to launch himself into the air. Pall raised his head to see Hord with his lightsaber raised over his head and ready to strike on the Dark Lord. All Pall could do was raise his blade over his head to prevent Hord's lightsaber from cutting him in two.

Again, the leader of the Sith Lords could feel the weight of Hord's saber press against his own. Thumbing the button on his hilt, Pall's blade retracted into the hilt. The action surprised Hord as he found himself almost staggering forward. Pall managed to dodge to the side and Hord's blade came in contact with the floor. The brown boots were left defenseless and Pall swept his right leg at them, sending Hord's armored body crashing onto the floor. Pall was quick to raise himself from his crouching position and he charged at Hord, the red blade of his lightsaber reignited.

As for Hord, he rolled on his back and brought his lightsaber up in time to intercept a blow to his head. Looking behind the intersected blade, Hord could see Pall's yellow eyes glaring at his black visor. He could feel Pall pressing down his blade in hopes of slicing through the red blade and into helmet.

However, Pall was taken by surprise when Hord slammed the butt-end of his lightsaber's hilt right in his nose. He was forced to stagger away from Hord, who immediately rolled away before standing on his own feet. The two separated with a distance of five paces between them.

Both Sith Lords could hear each other breathing, their respective lightsabers grasped tightly in their hands. Pall removed a free hand from his hilt and wiped the back of his hand against his nose, ignoring the droplets of blood on it. As much as the pain of a battered nose irritated the Dark Lord, Pall could not help but grin. "You're still as strong as I remember Hord," Pall commented. ""

A small about of air passed through the filters in Hord's helmet as the lesser Sith Lord heard the sound of wheezing emanating from his throat. It had been a while since Hord had fought against any of Pall's caliber, and his skills became a little rusty over time. "Pall, stop this madness at once! Leave now, while you still can," Hord told the Dark Lord.

Pall narrowed his eyes. "And why should I?" he challenged.

Under the helmet, Hord clenched his jaw as he tried to make his leader see sense. "Dammit Pall, we were allies!" his voice boomed through the chamber. "I followed you from the beginning of our exile! Do you not have any memory of our struggle?"

As a matter of fact, Pall did remember. He remembered every single bit of it. From his studies of the Dark Side to the war against the Jedi Order to their exile, Pall kept all those memories in his mind. And it was true; Hord had been there since that final battle and even when they arrived on Korriban. Throughout the entire ordeal of rising to the position of "Lords of the Sith," Hord remained the most loyal to Pall.

The Dark Lord of the Sith stared at Hord as the red-armored Sith Lord continued. "Pall, if you are still the same leader I once knew, then please let this go," Hord pleaded.

Pall could not believe it. Hord, one of the most powerful lords of the Sith, was now practically begging Pall to stop this entire duel. Hord had been known for his humility to his leader, but not like this before. And the sincere tone showed how serious Hord was.

Gripping his hilt, Pall raised his blade in anticipation. His eyes shone with the utmost certainty, which matched the tone of his voice. "I think not, Hord," was his response.

Seeing how his leader would no longer listen, Hord raised his own lightsaber. He and Pall knew that neither could hold back. One of them would fall this day and the other would walk away victorious. There was no going back at this point.

Pall tightened his grip on his hilt, expecting Hord to charge once more and continue the offense. Much to his surprise, Pall saw Hord cast his lightsaber and the blade swirled through the air. Pall slammed his red lightsaber against Hord's, casting the flying weapon aside. The blade retracted into the hilt as it fell, but stopped only a few centimeters from the ground. Pall's eyes traveled from the floor to Hord as the lightsaber hilt returned into the red gauntlet and the blade sprung to life once more.

Pall prevented himself cursing when he finally realized he was at a disadvantage. With Hord's lightsaber no longer having the cable attached to the power pack, his attack were not restricted. He could move without anything holding the weapon back.

Returning his attention to the other Sith Lord, Pall could see Hord now charging at him with the lightsaber leaving a red blur in the air. Pall blocked a slash to his side before he retaliated with his own strike at Hord's neck. The attack had been blocked once more, but the blades remained locked once more. That did not stop Hord as he used his physical strength to push forward. Pall was forced to take a step back and that single step turned into multiple steps as he found himself forced back at Hord's might.

Pall eventually felt his back pressed against one of the stone altars. Pall could feel the heat of locked lightsabers, the intersection of the blades some centimeters from his face. The red glow reflected off of Hord's red helmet, and the glow allowed Pall to see a pair of angry eyes through the black visor.

Pall planted a knee into Hord's stomach that almost made his opponent double over. It gave Pall enough time to lash out with one more slash on Hord, this time leaving small nick in the armored shoulder. It would have left a deeper cut if Hord had not taken a few steps back. Still, it was enough for Pall as he continued his assault.

By the time Hord recovered, he barely had enough time to raise his lightsaber to intersect with Pall's before it could cut into his leg. Hord was able block another attack, but the force of the colliding lightsabers sent him stagger back. Pall could feel victory within his grasp and he intended to land the final blow on Hord's defenseless chest.

Pall stretched his arm at full length to stab at Hord only to feel the weapon suddenly jerking back a little. He realized then the cable was keeping his lightsaber from moving forward. Unlike Hord's weapon, Pall's had been restricted by the cable attached to the power pack. That single moment was a fatal mistake for it gave Hord time to recover and retaliate.

Charging, the armored Sith Lord swung his lightsaber in an arc, the red blade slicing through the cable of Pall's lightsaber. The red blade of Pall's weapon returned into the hilt and let out a few sputters of electricity before it finally died away. Hord was not done as he past Pall, the tip of his lightsaber slicing into the knee. A cry of pain emerged from Pall's throat, and he was forced to drop onto his wounded knee.

As Pall placed a hand on his wound, Hord slowly circled around his leader. The wound Hord left was not too deep but it was enough to leave a scar that would last for many years. As for Pall's lightsaber, he could see smoke rising from the ends of the severed cable. He was defenseless and injured, but he knew that Pall was too dangerous to be kept alive.

On the contrary of what Hord thought, Pall was not entirely defenseless. He still had the Dark Side and he began summoning the power of the Dark Side of Force. Pall slowly built it inside him like water against a dam. All he needed to do was wait for the right time to strike.

The yellow eyes moved from the injury and met with Hord's black visor. Pall could see the red armored form of Hord standing before him, the black visor staring down at him. Hord's red blade was raised to his face, ready to strike down the Dark Lord of the Sith.

"It's over Pall," Hord spoke. "I wish it had not turned out like this."

Pall could notice a hint of remorse in Hord's voice. He was foolish to have such an emotion. And it would be Hord's own undoing as Pall could feel the Dark Side growing within him.

Before Hord had the chance bring down his weapon, Pall outstretched a free hand and unleashed the Dark Side, the lightning sizzling through the space between the two Lords of the Sith. Hord raised his lightsaber and the electricity struck against, small bolts cracking around the red blade.

The Dark Side growing inside of him, Pall continued to unleash more lightning from the tips of his fingers. His desire to win this duel encouraged him to ignore his injury and slowly stand up. Pall discarded his damaged lightsaber and the power of the Dark Side poured from both of his hands. Through the sparks of electricity, he could see Pall trying to protect himself.

But not even Hord's strength could last long as the lightning blast through his defenses, discarding his lightsaber from his hand. Pall's attack seized Hord, the bolts of electricity burning through his armor and into his skin. The pain was almost unbearable, but he was able to hold his ground, at least for a while.

The sight of a stubborn Hord made Pall's anger rose and the Dark Lord poured more of the Dark Side into his attack. The lightning bolts turned into a storm that engulfed the red armor and more smoke arose from Hord's armored form. Pall saw Hord slightly twitching, a sign that his enemy was weakening. However, but Pall did not want to take any changes.

Pall brought his wounded leg forward and poured more of the Dark Side from his fingertips. "I am Ajunta Pall!" he roared as he took another step. "I am the Dark Lord of the Sith. And you! Will! _Bow_!"

With each word coming from his throat, Pall increased the intensity of his Dark Side attack until it finally its peak. This time, Hord could not sustain the pain and he found himself flying into the stone floor. Left writing on the ground, he finally let out a howl that reached Pall's ears.

It seemed like an eternity had passed, but it had been merely moments. Hord's painful screams were so loud that it was able to drown out the electricity surging through Pall's fingers. To the Dark Lord of the Sith, it was a sign of victory. Pall could also feel Hord's strength slowly fading away from his body as the electricity seared into his skin.

The lightning flowed out of Pall's fingers like running water and like running water, the lightning slowly ceased to a few sparks that dissipated into the air. Lowering his hands, Pall heavily inhaled and exhaled for air, and his yellow eyes fell on Hord's form.

The smoke rose from the burnt skin exposed through the small breaches in the red armor. Pall could see one of Hord's own yellow eyes through a hole in his black visor, a result of Pall's lightning. It was opened wide and Pall could see the flicker of life fading in and out of the visible eye. Hord would eventually succumb to his wounds and if not, it was highly impossible for him to return to seat on Korriban.

Reaching out with the Force, Pall summoned Hord's lightsaber into his hand. Grasping it, Pall inspected the weapon and marveled at the craftsmanship of the hilt. Hord was defeated and the weapon was finally in his hands. Pall saw no reason to delay his stay any longer.

The ends of Pall's robe flowed in the air as he whirled around to face the door. He stood a simple step forward, almost limping from the injuring on his leg. He proceeded towards the doors, the feeling of victory filling his pride.

Pall's footsteps came to a halt, sensing something within the Force. He recognized it as a warning. But a warning of what?

It did not take that for Pall to realize the threat he sensed as he spun around to see the armored form of Hord lunging at him, arms wide open like a kath hound.

Without thinking, Pall thumbed the button on Hord's hilt and the red blade shot out. Hord was too late to do anything as his body fell upon his own lightsaber. All he could do was let out a gasp as he felt the blade pierce through his crimson armor. The Dark Lord of the Sith could hear his subordinate let out a hacking cough, and he swore the Sith Lord spat some blood on the inside of his helmet. Perhaps it struck through a lung.

Whatever the case was, Pall thumbed the button again and the blade retracted into the hilt, leaving a hole in Hord's chest. The only sound that came out of the lesser Sith Lord was a soft wheeze as his body fell at Pall's feet. Pall looked down to be greeted with the sight of Hord's armored back, smoke rising from the corpse.

"Let me go! My father will punish you for this!" a small cry emerged from the double doors.

The voice caught Pall's attention. Turning around, he saw his two royal guards entering the chamber. One of them had his hand around a youg boy's wrist, dragging him inside. The boy was of Sith blood with the tendrils on his cheek, yet the skin was of a lighter hue than the typical red complexion of the Sith. Unlike the typical slaves or guards, the boy was dressed in a fine black cloth and there was something almost human about him.

Pall's eyes almost widened at realization as to who it was before him: Hord's son.

The boy's struggle eventually ceased when his eyes finally came across the fallen corpse of his father at Pall's feet. Shock and sadness filled his eyes and The young Sith could not believe what he was seeing before him.

Pall could feel the anger and sorrow welling up inside of the boy along as his tears rolled out of his eyes like rivers. "Father!" he cried out.

The boy attempted to run to his dead father, but found himself jerking backwards, right towards the guard holding him captive. He glared at the Sith guard as he tried to break his wrist free of the guard's grip. The other small flailed about as the boy failed to yank his arm away from the guard.

"Let me go!" the boy shouted, more tears pouring from his eyes. "Let me go!"

But the boy's command had been denied. The Sith guard would not let him go unless if his master had ordered him. All the guard did was remain silent, never releasing his grip on the young son of Hord.

Pall said nothing as he watched the entire thing play in front of him. The boy continued to fail fighting against the strong grasp on his wrist. Eventually, he stopped fighting and fell on his knees, allowing himself to be immersed in his sorrow. The reddish head hung low and the tears dripped onto the stone floor.

The sobbing cries went ignored by the Dark Lord as he approached both of his guards. The one who had not been occupied with Hord's son, took notice of the leg Pall had been limping on.

"My lord, you are injured!" the guard proclaimed. "Do you require any healing?"

Pall's face remained stoic, his pride not allowing him to admit the wound Hord had left. "It is nothing," Pall answered before he continued, "I am done with my work here. Prepare my ship."

The other guard turned his head at his master. "What shall we do with the boy?" he inquired.

The question brought some intrigue to Pall as he stared down at the small figure. He was greeted with the boy's own teary eyes, the hatred and sadness in his flaming orange orbs. Pall could sense those same emotions within the boy, yet they were like a raging in comparison to what could be seen on his face.

Pall could also sense something inside of the young Sith. The Dark Side was strong in him, so strong that it could possibly rival of any the Sith Lords. The sight of his dead father would fuel his rage, and with the right training, the boy could become more powerful than Pall himself. Perhaps he, or his descendants, would one day carry the title of Dark Lord of the Sith.

Returning his gaze to the guard, Pall ordered, "Bring the boy to my ship. He will be staying in my palace on Ziost."

Both the guards said nothing. They simply bowed their heads in respect for their master and they left the chamber with Hord's son dragging behind them. The young boy's glare fell upon Pall before he completely disappeared behind the double doors.

The sound of nothingness left the Dark Lord to his thoughts. As the boy disappeared from his sight, a small amount of his conscious emerged within the Dark Lord's mind: pity, a strange emotion Pall ignored after all these years. The young Sith was without a father, an action that Pall was responsible for, and now he would face years of tenuous training that may kill him.

Another pang of guilt struck Pall. He planned for Hord to be buried with honors, but news of Hord's death would eventually reach the ears of the other Sith Lords. They would wish for the weapon Pall managed to acquire from Hord's corpse, and they would no doubt wish to duplicate the design for themselves. With such a weapon in their hands, it would deepen the other Sith Lords' for more.

Suddenly, the taste of victory turned from sweet to sour. Pall knew very well why that was… This was no victory. It was a betrayal. And it was the first of many to come.

* * *

A/N: Ever since his first appearance in KotOR, I enjoyed Pall as a character. I thought his backstory as one of the first Sith Lords was awesome, and I enjoyed it even more when I heard that Pall was made the first Dark Lord of the Sith is Star wars canon. However, there was a red-armored Sith Lord who had been speculated to be the first Sith Lord. This Sith Lord made an appearance in the _Tales of the Jedi_ comic book series, and seeing how he's also on wookieepedia, I thought I'd put him in the story.

Basically, this guy is Tulak Hord's ancestor. I was planning for him to be Tulak's Hord father but with the recent SWTOR game putting Tulak Hord some centuries after Pall, I took a different approach. In this case, I made Tulak Hord's ancestor the one responsible for making the lightsaber without the belt-mounted power pack. I thought it would only be fitting, considering how I've seen pictures of this guy with a modern lightsaber and how Tulak Hord is well-known for his lightsaber skills.

Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave reviews to let me know how I did.

Raika out.


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